| 1. |
- Ahlberg, Patrik, et al.
(author)
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Defect formation in graphene during low-energy ion bombardment
- 2016
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In: APL Materials. - : AIP Publishing. - 2166-532X. ; 4:4
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- This letter reports on a systematic investigation of sputter induced damage in graphene caused by low energy Ar+ ion bombardment. The integral numbers of ions per area (dose) as well as their energies are varied in the range of a few eV's up to 200 eV. The defects in the graphene are correlated to the dose/energy and different mechanisms for the defect formation are presented. The energetic bombardment associated with the conventional sputter deposition process is typically in the investigated energy range. However, during sputter deposition on graphene, the energetic particle bombardment potentially disrupts the crystallinity and consequently deteriorates its properties. One purpose with the present study is therefore to demonstrate the limits and possibilities with sputter deposition of thin films on graphene and to identify energy levels necessary to obtain defect free graphene during the sputter deposition process. Another purpose is to disclose the fundamental mechanisms responsible for defect formation in graphene for the studied energy range.
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| 2. |
- Ahlberg, Patrik, et al.
(author)
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Toward synthesis of oxide films on graphene with sputtering based processes
- 2016
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In: Journal of Vacuum Science & Technology B. - : American Vacuum Society. - 1071-1023 .- 1520-8567. ; 34:4
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The impact of energetic particles associated with a sputter deposition process may introduce damage to single layer graphene films, making it challenging to apply this method when processing graphene. The challenge is even greater when oxygen is incorporated into the sputtering process as graphene can be readily oxidized. This work demonstrates a method of synthesizing ZnSn oxide on graphene without introducing an appreciable amount of defects into the underlying graphene. Moreover, the method is general and applicable to other oxides. The formation of ZnSn oxide is realized by sputter deposition of ZnSn followed by a postoxidation step. In order to prevent the underlying graphene from damage during the initial sputter deposition process, the substrate temperature is kept close to room temperature, and the processing pressure is kept high enough to effectively suppress energetic bombardment. Further, in the subsequent postannealing step, it is important not to exceed temperatures resulting in oxidation of the graphene. The authors conclude that postoxidation of ZnSn is satisfactorily performed at 300 degrees C in pure oxygen at reduced pressure. This process results in an oxidized ZnSn film while retaining the initial quality of the graphene film.
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| 3. |
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| 4. |
- Grill, Filip, et al.
(author)
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Dissecting Motor and Cognitive Component Processes of a Finger-Tapping Task With Hybrid Dopamine Positron Emission Tomography and Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging
- 2021
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In: Frontiers in Human Neuroscience. - : Frontiers Media S.A.. - 1662-5161. ; 15
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Striatal dopamine is involved in facilitation of motor action as well as various cognitive and emotional functions. Positron emission tomography (PET) is the primary imaging method used to investigate dopamine function in humans. Previous PET studies have shown striatal dopamine release during simple finger tapping in both the putamen and the caudate. It is likely that dopamine release in the putamen is related to motor processes while dopamine release in the caudate could signal sustained cognitive component processes of the task, but the poor temporal resolution of PET has hindered firm conclusions. In this study we simultaneously collected [11C]Raclopride PET and functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) data while participants performed finger tapping, with fMRI being able to isolate activations related to individual tapping events. The results revealed fMRI-PET overlap in the bilateral putamen, which is consistent with a motor component process. Selective PET responses in the caudate, ventral striatum, and right posterior putamen, were also observed but did not overlap with fMRI responses to tapping events, suggesting that these reflect non-motor component processes of finger tapping. Our findings suggest an interplay between motor and non-motor-related dopamine release during simple finger tapping and illustrate the potential of hybrid PET-fMRI in revealing distinct component processes of cognitive functions.
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| 5. |
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| 6. |
- Hamalainen, Markku D., et al.
(author)
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Breathalyser-Based eHealth Data Suggest That Self-Reporting of Abstinence Is a Poor Outcome Measure for Alcohol Use Disorder Clinical Trials
- 2020
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In: Alcohol and Alcoholism. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 0735-0414 .- 1464-3502. ; 55:3, s. 237-245
-
Research review (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Aims: To evaluate the efficacy and monitoring capabilities of a breathalyser-based eHealth system for patients with alcohol use disorder (AUD) and to investigate the quality and validity of timeline follow-back (TLFB) as outcome measure in clinical trials and treatment.Methods: Patients (n = 115) were recruited to clinical trials from a 12-step aftercare programme (12S-ABS) and from hospital care with abstinence (HC-ABS) or controlled drinking (HC-CDR) as goal and randomly divided into an eHealth and a control group. The effect of the eHealth system was analysed with TLFB-derived primary outcomes-change in number of abstinent days (AbsDay) and heavy drinking days (HDDs) compared to baseline-and phosphatidyl ethanol (PEth) measurements. Validity and quality of TLFB were evaluated by comparison with breath alcohol content (BrAC) and eHealth digital biomarkers (DBs): Addiction Monitoring Index (AMI) and Maximum Time Between Tests (MTBT). TLFB reports were compared to eHealth data regarding reported abstinence.Results: The primary outcome (TLFB) showed no significant difference between eHealth and control groups, but PEth did show a significant difference especially at months 2 and 3. Self-reported daily abstinence suffered from severe quality issues: of the 28-day TLFB reports showing full abstinence eHealth data falsified 34% (BrAC measurements), 39% (MTBT), 54% (AMI) and 68% (BrAC/MTBT/AMI). 12S-ABS and HC-ABS patients showed severe under-reporting.Conclusions: No effect of the eHealth system was measured with TLFB, but a small positive effect was measured with PEth. The eHealth system revealed severe quality problems with TLFB, especially regarding abstinence-should measurement-based eHealth data replace TLFB as outcome measure for AUD?
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| 7. |
- Hamalainen, Markku D., et al.
(author)
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Real-time Monitoring Using a Breathalyzer-Based eHealth System Can Identify Lapse/Relapse Patterns in Alcohol Use Disorder Patients
- 2018
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In: Alcohol and Alcoholism. - : OXFORD UNIV PRESS. - 0735-0414 .- 1464-3502. ; 53:4, s. 368-375
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Aim: We introduce a new remote real-time breathalyzer-based method for monitoring and early identification of lapse/relapse patterns for alcohol use disorder (AUD) patients using a composite measure of sobriety, the Addiction Monitoring Index (AMI). Methods: We constructed AMI from (a) obtained test results and (b) the pattern of ignored tests using data from the first 30 patients starting in the treatment arms of two on-going clinical trials. The patients performed 2-4 scheduled breath alcohol content (BrAC)-tests per day presented as blood alcohol content (BAC) data. In total, 10,973 tests were scheduled, 7743 were performed and 3230 were ignored during 3982 patient days. Results: AMI-time profiles could be used to monitor the daily trends of alcohol consumption and detect early signs of lapse and relapses. The pattern of ignored tests correlates with the onset of drinking. AMI correlated with phosphatidyl ethanol (n = 61, F-ratio = 34.6, P < 0.0001, R = -0.61). The recognition of secret drinking could further be improved using a low alcohol detection threshold (BrAC = 0.025 mg/l, BAC(Swe) = 0.05% or US = 0.0053 g/dl), in addition to the legal Swedish traffic limit (BrAC = 0.1 mg/l, BAC(Swe) = 0.2% or US = 0.021 g/dl). Nine out of 10 patients who dropped out from the study showed early risk signs as reflected in the level and pattern in AMI before the actual dropout. Conclusions: AMI-time profiles from an eHealth system are useful for monitoring the recovery process and for early identification of lapse/relapse patterns. High-resolution monitoring of sobriety enables new measurement-based treatment methods for proactive personalized long-term relapse prevention and treatment of AUD patients. Clinical Trial Registration: The data used for construction of AMI was from two clinical trials approved by the Regional Ethics Committee of Uppsala, Sweden and performed in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki. Written informed consent was obtained from all participating subjects. The study was registered at ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT03195894).
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| 8. |
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| 9. |
- Hansson, Patrik, et al.
(author)
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Relationship between natural teeth and memory in a healthy elderly population
- 2013
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In: European Journal of Oral Sciences. - : Wiley. - 0909-8836 .- 1600-0722. ; 121:4, s. 333-340
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The relationship between mastication and cognitive function remains unclear, but both animal and experimental human studies suggest a possible causal relationship. In the present study it was hypothesized that natural teeth are of importance for hippocampus-based cognitive processes, such as episodic long-term memory. A population-based sample of 273 participants (55-80yr of age; 145 women) was investigated in a cross-sectional study. The participants underwent health assessment, completed a battery of cognitive tests, and took part in an extensive clinical oral examination. The number of natural teeth contributed uniquely and significantly to explaining variance (3-4%) in performance on measures of episodic memory and semantic memory over and above individual differences in age, years of education, gender, occupation, living conditions, and medical history. The number of natural teeth did not have an influence on the performance of measures of working memory, visuospatial ability, or processing speed. Within the limitations of the current study, a small, but significant, relationship between episodic memory and number of natural teeth is evident.
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| 10. |
- Islam, Md Mafijul, et al.
(author)
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Towards benchmarking of functional safety in the automotive industry
- 2013
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In: Lecture Notes in Computr Science. - Berlin, Heidelberg : Springer Berlin Heidelberg. - 1611-3349 .- 0302-9743. - 9783642387883 ; , s. 111-125
-
Conference paper (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Functional safety is becoming increasingly important in the automotive industry to deal with the growing reliance on the electrical and/or electronic (E/E) systems and the associated complexities. The introduction of ISO 26262, a new standard for functional safety in road vehicles, has made it even more important to adopt a systematic approach of evaluating functional safety. However, standard assessment methods of benchmarking functional safety of automotive systems are not available as of today. This is where the BeSafe (Benchmarking of Functional Safety) project comes into the picture. BeSafe project aims to lay the foundation for benchmarking functional safety of automotive E/E systems. In this paper, we present a brief overview of the project along with the benchmark targets that we have identified as relevant for the automotive industry, assuming three abstraction layers (model, software, hardware). We then define and discuss a set of benchmark measures. Next, we propose a benchmark framework encompassing fault/error models, methods and the required tool support. This paper primarily focuses on functional safety benchmarking from the Safety Element out of Context (SEooC) viewpoint. Finally, we present some preliminary results and highlight potential future works.
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| 11. |
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| 12. |
- Johansson, Fredrik, et al.
(author)
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Minimizing sputter-induced damage during deposition of WS2 onto graphene
- 2017
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In: Applied Physics Letters. - : AIP Publishing. - 0003-6951 .- 1077-3118. ; 110:9
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- We demonstrate the sputter-deposition of WS2 onto a single-layer graphene film leaving the latter disorder-free. The sputtering process normally causes defects to the graphene lattice and adversely affects its properties. Sputtering of WS2 yields significant amounts of energetic particles, specifically negative S ions, and reflected neutral Ar, and it is therefore used as a model system in this work. The disorder-free sputtering is achieved by increasing the sputteringpressure of Ar thereby shifting the kinetic energy distribution towards lower energies for the impinging particle flux at the substrate. Raman spectroscopy is used to assess the amount of damage to the graphene film. Monte Carlo simulations of the sputteringprocess show that W is completely thermalized already at relatively low sputtering pressure, whereas Ar and S need a comparably higher pressure to thermalize so as to keep the graphene film intact. Apart from becoming completely amorphous at 2.3 mTorr, the graphene filmremains essentially disorder-free when the pressure is increased to 60 mTorr. The approach used here is generally applicable and readily extendable to sputter-deposition of other material combinations onto sensitive substrates. Moreover, it can be used without changing the geometry of an existing sputtering setup.
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| 13. |
- Khatibi Esfanjani, Ali, et al.
(author)
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Could androgens protect middle-aged women from cardiovascular events? A population-based study of Swedish women: The Women's Health in the Lund Area (WHILA) Study
- 2007
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In: Climacteric. - : Informa UK Limited. - 1369-7137 .- 1473-0804. ; 10:5, s. 386-392
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Objective The aim of this analysis was to delineate perceived associations between androgens and cardiovascular events in perimenopausal women. Design A cross-sectional, population-based study of 6440 perimenopausal women aged 50-59 years, living in Southern Sweden. In all, 461 (7.1%) women were premenopausal (PM), 3328 (51.7%) postmenopausal without hormone therapy (HT) (PMO) and 2651 (41.2%) postmenopausal with HT (PMT). For further comparisons, 104 women (1.6%) who reported cardiovascular disease (CVD) were studied in detail; 49 had had a myocardial infarction, 49 a stroke and six women both events. For each woman with CVD, two matched controls were selected (n = 208). Results In the matched controlled series, androstenedione levels were lower (p < 0.005) in cases. Cases with hormone therapy had also lower testosterone levels than matched controls (p = 0.05). In the total cohort, by using multiple logistic regression analyses, testosterone was positively associated with low density lipoprotem cholesterol (p < 0.001) and high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) (p < 0.001) in all women, but negatively associated with levels of triglycerides in both the PMO (p < 0.001) and PMT (p < 0.001) groups. Androstenedione levels were positively associated with HDL-C (p < 0.05) and negatively with triglycerides (p < 0.05) in the PM group. Conclusion Women with cardiovascular disease had lower serum androgen levels, particularly women using hormone replacement therapy, even when controlled for lipids and other potential risk factors.
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| 14. |
- Linder, Adam, et al.
(author)
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Heparin-Binding Protein Measurement Improves the Prediction of Severe Infection With Organ Dysfunction in the Emergency Department
- 2015
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In: Critical Care Medicine. - : LIPPINCOTT WILLIAMS and WILKINS. - 0090-3493 .- 1530-0293. ; 43:11, s. 2378-2386
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Objectives: Early identification of patients with infection and at risk of developing severe disease with organ dysfunction remains a difficult challenge. We aimed to evaluate and validate the heparin-binding protein, a neutrophil-derived mediator of vascular leakage, as a prognostic biomarker for risk of progression to severe sepsis with circulatory failure in a multicenter setting. Design: A prospective international multicenter cohort study. Setting: Seven different emergency departments in Sweden, Canada, and the United States. Patients: Adult patients with a suspected infection and at least one of three clinical systemic inflammatory response syndrome criteria (excluding leukocyte count). Intervention: None. Measurements and Main Results: Plasma levels of heparin-binding protein, procalcitonin, C-reactive protein, lactate, and leukocyte count were determined at admission and 12-24 hours after admission in 759 emergency department patients with suspected infection. Patients were defined depending on the presence of infection and organ dysfunction. Plasma samples from 104 emergency department patients with suspected sepsis collected at an independent center were used to validate the results. Of the 674 patients diagnosed with an infection, 487 did not have organ dysfunction at enrollment. Of these 487 patients, 141 (29%) developed organ dysfunction within the 72-hour study period; 78.0% of the latter patients had an elevated plasma heparin-binding protein level (greater than 30 ng/mL) prior to development of organ dysfunction (median, 10.5 hr). Compared with other biomarkers, heparin-binding protein was the best predictor of progression to organ dysfunction (area under the receiver operating characteristic curve = 0.80). The performance of heparin-binding protein was confirmed in the validation cohort. Conclusion: In patients presenting at the emergency department, heparin-binding protein is an early indicator of infection-related organ dysfunction and a strong predictor of disease progression to severe sepsis within 72 hours.
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| 15. |
- Mattsson, Patrik, et al.
(author)
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β-Amyloid binding in elderly subjects with declining or stable episodic memory function measured with PET and [11C]AZD2184
- 2015
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In: European Journal of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging. - : Springer. - 1619-7070 .- 1619-7089. ; 42:10, s. 1507-1511
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Purpose: Cognitive decline has been suggested as an early marker for later onset of Alzheimer's disease. We therefore explored the relationship between decline in episodic memory and β-amyloid using positron emission tomography (PET) and [11C]AZD2184, a radioligand with potential to detect low levels of amyloid deposits.Methods: Healthy elderly subjects with declining (n = 10) or stable (n = 10) episodic memory over 15 years were recruited from the population-based Betula study and examined with PET. Brain radioactivity was measured after intravenous administration of [11C]AZD2184 The binding potential BP ND was calculated using linear graphical analysis with the cerebellum as reference region.Results: The binding of [11C]AZD2184 in total grey matter was generally low in the declining group, whereas some binding could be observed in the stable group. Mean BP ND was significantly higher in the stable group compared to the declining group (p = 0.019). An observation was that the three subjects with the highest BPND were ApoE ε4 allele carriers.Conclusions: We conclude that cognitive decline in the general population does not seem to stand by itself as an early predictor for amyloid deposits.
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| 16. |
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| 17. |
- Nyberg, Lars, 1966-, et al.
(author)
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Biological and environmental predictors of heterogeneity in neurocognitive ageing : Evidence from Betula and other longitudinal studies
- 2020
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In: Ageing Research Reviews. - : Elsevier. - 1568-1637 .- 1872-9649. ; 64
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Research review (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Individual differences in cognitive performance increase with advancing age, reflecting marked cognitive changes in some individuals along with little or no change in others. Genetic and lifestyle factors are assumed to influence cognitive performance in aging by affecting the magnitude and extent of age-related brain changes (i.e., brain maintenance or atrophy), as well as the ability to recruit compensatory processes. The purpose of this review is to present findings from the Betula study and other longitudinal studies, with a focus on clarifying the role of key biological and environmental factors assumed to underlie individual differences in brain and cognitive aging. We discuss the vital importance of sampling, analytic methods, consideration of non-ignorable dropout, and related issues for valid conclusions on factors that influence healthy neurocognitive aging.
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| 18. |
- Nyberg, Lars, et al.
(author)
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Skogsmarkens kemi i Värmland : En jämförelse av ståndortskarteringen och Värmlandsundersökningen
- 1998
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Reports (other academic/artistic)abstract
- Rapporten redovisar en jämförelse av två markkemiska undersökningar i Värmland, Värmlandsundersökningen på 180 platser 1994, och den nationella ståndortskarte-ringen på upp till 89 platser 1983-87. I jämförelsen har data för mark-pH, utbytbart förråd av katjoner och mineraljordens totalinnehåll av element tagits med. Jämförelsen påverkades av ett antal faktorer som skiljde sig åt i de båda undersökningarna, t ex att antalet provpunkter var olika, att provtagningen i ståndortskarteringen omfattade olika typer av jordmåner medan Värmlandsundersökningen endast omfattade podsolerade jordar och att de kemiska analyserna utfördes med delvis olika metoder.För mark-pH och de olika katjonerna i det utbytbara förrådet var såväl medelnivåerna som de regionala variationsmönstren olika för ståndortskarteringen och Värmlands-undersökningen. Skill-naden i nivå kan förklaras av att rikare jordar ingick i ståndorts-karteringen. Dessutom kan surt ned-fall under de ca tio år som skiljde undersökning-arna i tiden ha sänkt mark-pH och minskat det utbytbara förrådet av baskatjoner, även om det sura nedfallet minskat under perioden. Jämförelser av huvudelementen i mine-raljorden visade på relativt god överensstämmelse mellan ståndortskarteringen och Värmlandsundersökningen, såväl vad gäller medelnivå i länet och vad gäller den geo-grafiska variationen. För spårelementen i mineraljorden skilde medelnivåerna stort mellan ståndortskarteringen och Värmlandsundersökningen, troligen beroende på att provtagningsdjupen var olika
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| 19. |
- Nyberg, Oskar, et al.
(author)
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Characterizing antibiotics in LCA-a review of current practices and proposed novel approaches for including resistance
- 2021
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In: The International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0948-3349 .- 1614-7502. ; 26, s. 1816-1831
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Purpose: With antibiotic resistance (ABR) portrayed as an increasing burden to human health, this study reviews how and to what extent toxicological impacts from antibiotic use are included in LCAs and supplement this with two novel approaches to include ABR, a consequence of antibiotic use, into the LCA framework.Methods: We review available LCA studies that deal with toxicological aspects of antibiotics to evaluate how these impacts from antibiotics have been characterized. Then, we present two novel approaches for including ABR-related impacts in life cycle impact assessments (LCIAs). The first approach characterizes the potential for ABR enrichment in the environmental compartment as a mid-point indicator, based on minimum selective concentrations for pathogenic bacteria. The second approach attributes human health impacts as an endpoint indictor, using quantitative relationships between the use of antibiotics and human well-being.Results and discussion: Our findings show that no LCA study to date have accounted for impacts related to ABR. In response, we show that our novel mid-point indicator approach could address this by allowing ABR impacts to be characterized for environmental compartments. We also establish cause-effect pathways between antibiotic use, ABR, and human well-being that generate results which are comparable with USEtox and most endpoint impact assessment approaches for human toxicology.Conclusions: Our proposed methods show that currently overlooked impacts from ABR enrichment in the environment could be captured within the LCA framework as a robust characterization methodology built around the established impact model USEtox. Substantial amounts of currently unavailable data are, however, needed to calculate emissions of antibiotics into the environment, to develop minimum selective concentrations for non-pathogenic bacteria, and to quantify potential human health impacts from AB use.
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| 20. |
- Nyberg, Oskar, et al.
(author)
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Ecotoxicological HC20-values and their statistical distribution : A nonlinear weighted regression applied to thousands of chemicals
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Other publication (other academic/artistic)abstract
- Ecotoxicological effect data which form the basis of evaluations of ecological impacts from chemical emissions are incomplete, and completely absent for some chemicals, which result in risks being overlooked. Where data are available, they tend to be heterogeneous and accompanied with large uncertainties. In the present research we curate ecotoxicological data from openly available sources and present a methodology for quantifying the variability in toxicity for chemicals and evaluate its implications for environmental assessment frameworks, such as life cycle assessments.The data collection resulted in a database detailing 118,131 curated records that span 1,736 species and 3,692 chemicals suitable for calculating the concentration response slope factors corresponding to the slope on the SSD curve at the 20% response level of organisms exposed to a chemical (CRFHC20). From these data we are able to calculate values and 95% percentile distributions of the CRFHC20 for 2,350 and 1,117 chemicals respectively. Pesticides is the most data rich category of chemicals, yet has the largest variability attached to the CRFHC20.We show that the variance among toxicity estimates for the same species and chemical can be used in weighted nonlinear model fitting to generate an uncertainty range attached to a CRFHC20 value, allowing for uncertainties related to ecotoxicological impact characterization in environmental frameworks to be estimated. Data scarcity is an omnipresent issue when it comes to characterizing toxicity of chemicals, where only 63.7 % of all chemicals with effect data records have enough data to calculate a CRFHC20 value, and 30.3 % have enough data to fit a weighted nonlinear least squares model. Our recommendation is to incorporate toxicological variance in estimations of ecotoxicity impacts and life cycle impact assessment categories, to reduce ambiguity and allow for verification when comparing ecotoxicological impacts.
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| 21. |
- Nyberg, Oskar, et al.
(author)
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Identifying mismatches in the classification of toxic emissions and potentials to gap-fill characterization factors in agricultural LCAs
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Other publication (other academic/artistic)abstract
- Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is vital for evaluating environmental impacts throughout the value chain of a product, including toxicity in freshwater ecosystems and human health. Several methodologies to characterize toxicity of chemicals have emerged over time, generating an increasing number of characterized chemicals. Yet, evaluating toxicological impacts in agri-food LCA studies poses significant challenges. LCA data inventories are dynamic, lack uniformity, and may not encompass all relevant chemical attributes. Additionally, widely-used LCA software tools often lack completeness checks of available characterizations, potentially resulting in underestimations of toxicity impacts within value chains.Our study evaluates agri-food LCA studies, revealing significant underestimations of toxicological impacts due to missing characterization factors, especially concerning pesticide usage, highlighting the need for robust toxicological characterizations to support certification.We also explore the use of computational quantitative structure-activity relationship models to predict missing toxicological characterizations. However, challenges arise from these predictions, offering less reliable results due to complex toxic mechanisms and limited empirical data availability. We also scrutinize the limitations of applying generic characterization factors for pesticide groups.We propose criteria for LCA software developers to minimize the underestimation of toxicological impacts and boost transparency in studies and recommend to include completeness checks, avoiding generic characterization factors, and flagging chemicals without corresponding characterization factors.
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| 22. |
- Nyberg, Oskar, 1985-, et al.
(author)
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Poultry manure fertilization of Egyptian aquaculture ponds brings more cons than pros
- 2024
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In: Aquaculture. - 0044-8486 .- 1873-5622. ; 590
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Aquaculture is a crucial sector for Egyptian food production, providing a cheap source of animal protein while securing income and employment for a substantial part Egypt's population. Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) is the most commonly produced fish, usually farmed in earthen ponds around the Northern Delta Lakes. A common practice among farms is to fertilize ponds with chicken manure (CM) in order to increase nutrient levels and promote phytoplankton, consumed by the fish. However, with reports of use of antibiotics in Egypt's poultry sector, and that CM contains residues of antibiotics, antibiotic resistant pathogens and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) are production benefits large enough to compensate a potential health hazard?Using production data from 501 aquaculture farms and fish pond sediment from 28 ponds we evaluated potential benefits in yields and profitability for farms using CM for fertilization, and used qPCRs to screen sediments for three antibiotic resistance genes coding for resistance to the most commonly used antibiotics in the poultry sector. The analysis showed no significant benefits to fish yields or profitability in farms where CM was applied, but a risk of significantly increased nutrient loads. Meanwhile, we detected increased abundances of tetA and tetW resistance genes in fish pond sediment where CM was applied. With the risk of disseminating ARGs and causing eutrophication of local waterways, we recommend that Egyptian tilapia pond farmers refrain from using CM and adopt best management practices for increasing farm profitability in order to to reduce environmental and health hazards.
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| 23. |
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| 24. |
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| 25. |
- Nyberg, Patrik
(author)
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Pathogen-host interactions at the surface of Streptococcus pyogenes
- 2005
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Doctoral thesis (other academic/artistic)abstract
- The bacterial surface can be thought of as the interface where pathogenic bacteria encounter the human host. Interactions between bacterial surface proteins and human proteins are important determinants of the eventual outcome of infection. A bacterial protein, Protein F1, that binds the human plasma and connective tissue protein fibronectin, was found to reduce the virulence of Streptococcus pyogenes in a mouse model of infection. Experiments with mice lacking plasma fibronectin indicate that interactions of Protein F1 with both plasma and cellular fibronectin reduce bacterial virulence. S. pyogenes secretes a cysteine proteinase, SpeB, that was found to reduce bacterial fibronectin-binding by degrading Protein F1 at the bacterial surface. Proteolytic reduction of fibronectin-binding resulted in reduced S. pyogenes adhesion and internalisation. Protein F1 was more sensitive to SpeB than M1 protein, and not protected from SpeB when in complex with fibronectin. SpeB can degrade the antimicrobial peptide LL-37. It was shown that SpeB in complex with the human proteinase inhibitor ?2-macroglobulin could still degrade LL-37. ?2-macroglobulin-SpeB complexes bound to the surface of S. pyogenes via the bacterial surface protein GRAB protected the bacterium from killing by LL-37. C3a, generated in the activation of the complement system, was shown to have antibacterial activity and a C3a-derived peptide protected mice against S. pyogenes infection.
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| 26. |
- Nyberg, Patrik, et al.
(author)
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SpeB modulates fibronectin-dependent internalization of Streptococcus pyogenes by efficient proteolysis of cell-wall-anchored protein F1.
- 2004
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In: Microbiology. - : Microbiology Society. - 1465-2080 .- 1350-0872. ; 150:Pt 5, s. 1559-1569
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- SpeB is a cysteine proteinase and virulence determinant secreted by the important human pathogen Streptococcus pyogenes. Recent investigations have suggested a role for SpeB in streptococcal entry into human cells. However, conflicting data concerning the contribution of SpeB to internalization have been presented. Protein F1 is a cell-wall-attached fibronectin (Fn)-binding protein that is present in a majority of streptococcal isolates and is important for internalization. This study shows that protein F1 is efficiently degraded by SpeB, and that removal of protein F1 from the bacterial surface leads to reduced internalization. Whereas M1 protein and protein H, two additional surface proteins of S. pyogenes that bind human plasma proteins, are protected from proteolytic degradation by their ligands, protein F1 is readily cleaved by SpeB also when in complex with Fn. This finding, and the connection between the presence of Fn at the bacterial surface and entry into human cells, suggest that SpeB plays a role in the regulation of the internalization process.
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| 27. |
- Sellstedt, Magnus, 1981-, et al.
(author)
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Synthesis and Characterization of a Multi Ring-Fused 2-Pyridone-Based Fluorescent Scaffold
- 2010
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In: European Journal of Organic Chemistry. - : Wiley. - 1434-193X .- 1099-0690. ; :32, s. 6171-6178
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- A series of compounds based on a novel fluorescent scaffold have been synthesized. Most of the compounds displayed high quantum yields of fluorescence and unusually long fluorescence lifetimes. HeLa cells were treated with one of the compounds and its use as a fluorescent dye was demonstrated with fluorescence confocal microscopy.
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| 28. |
- Strålin, Kristoffer, et al.
(author)
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Design of a national patient-centred clinical pathway for sepsis in Sweden
- 2023
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In: Infectious Diseases. - : Taylor & Francis. - 2374-4235 .- 2374-4243. ; 55:10, s. 716-724
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- BACKGROUND: The World Health Organization has adopted a resolution on sepsis and urged member states to develop national processes to improve sepsis care. In Sweden, sepsis was selected as one of the ten first diagnoses to be addressed, when the Swedish government in 2019 allocated funds for patient-centred clinical pathways in healthcare. A national multidisciplinary working group, including a patient representative, was appointed to develop the patient-centred clinical pathway for sepsis.METHODS: The working group mapped challenges and needs surrounding sepsis care and included a survey sent to all emergency departments (ED) in Sweden, and then designed a patient-centred clinical pathway for sepsis.RESULTS: The working group decided to focus on the following four areas: (1) sepsis alert for early detection and management optimisation for the most severely ill sepsis patients in the ED; (2) accurate sepsis diagnosis coding; (3) structured information to patients at discharge after sepsis care and (4) structured telephone follow-up after sepsis care. A health-economic analysis indicated that the implementation of the clinical pathway for sepsis will most likely not drive costs. An important aspect of the clinical pathway is implementing continuous monitoring of performance and process indicators. A national working group is currently building up such a system for monitoring, focusing on extraction of this information from the electronic health records systems.CONCLUSION: A national patient-centred clinical pathway for sepsis has been developed and is currently being implemented in Swedish healthcare. We believe that the clinical pathway and the accompanying monitoring will provide a more efficient and equal sepsis care and improved possibilities to monitor and further develop sepsis care in Sweden.
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| 29. |
- Wretborn, Jens, et al.
(author)
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Risk of venous thromboembolism in a Swedish healthcare system during the COVID-19 pandemic : A retrospective cross-sectional study
- 2021
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In: Journal of the American College of Emergency Physicians Open. - : Wiley. - 2688-1152. ; 2:5
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Objective The objective of this study was to investigate the risk and prevalence of venous thromboembolism (VTE) for patients undergoing a diagnostic test for VTE with confirmed COVID-19 infection compared with patients with no COVID-19 infection. Methods This was a retrospective cross-sectional study of patients in an integrated healthcare system in Sweden, covering a population of 465,000, with a diagnostic test for VTE between March 1 and May 31 in the years 2015 to 2020. Risk for VTE with COVID-19 was assessed by logistic regression, adjusting for baseline risk factors. Results A total of 8702 patients were included, and 88 of those patients tested positive on the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) polymerase chain reaction test. A positive SARS-CoV-2 test did not increase the odds for VTE (odds ratio, 0.97; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.55-1.74) and did not change when adjusting for sex, previous VTE, previous malignancy, Charlson score, hospital admission, intensive care, or ongoing treatment with anticoagulation (odds ratio, 0.72; 95% CI, 0.16-3.3). The prevalence of VTE was unchanged in 2020 compared with 2015 to 2019 (16.5% vs 16.1%, respectively), and there was no difference in VTE between the SARS-CoV-2 positive, negative, or untested groups in 2020 (15.9%, 17.6%, and 15.7%, respectively; P = 0.85). Conclusions We found no increased prevalence of VTE in the general population compared with previous years and no increased risk of VTE in patients who were SARS-CoV-2 positive, suggesting that SARS-CoV-2 status should not influence VTE workup in the emergency department. The prevalence of VTE was high in patients with SARS-CoV-2 treated in the intensive care unit (ICU), where the suspicion for VTE should remain high.
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| 30. |
- Wretborn, Jens, et al.
(author)
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Risk of venous thromboembolism in patients with COVID-19 during 2020; a retrospective cross-sectional study in a Swedish health care system
- 2023
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In: Scientific Reports. - : NATURE PORTFOLIO. - 2045-2322. ; 13:1
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- To establish the impact of COVID-19 on the pre-test probability for VTE in patients with suspected VTE. This was a retrospective, observational, cross-sectional study of patients 18 years and older undergoing diagnostic tests for VTE in an integrated healthcare system covering a population of 465,000 during the calendar year of 2020. We adjusted for risk factors such as age, sex, previous VTE, ongoing anticoagulant treatment, malignancy, Charlson score, ward care, ICU care and wave of COVID-19. In total, 303 of 5041 patients had a positive diagnosis of COVID-19 around the time of investigation. The prevalence of VTE in COVID-positive patients was 10.2% (36/354), 14.7% (473/3219) in COVID-19 negative patients, and 15.6% (399/2589) in patients without a COVID-19 test. A COVID-positive status was not associated with an increased risk for VTE (crude odds ratio 0.64, 95% CI 0.45-0.91, adjusted odds ratio 0.46, 95%CI 0.19-1.16). We found no increased VTE risk in COVID-positive patients. This indicates that COVID-19 status should not influence VTE workup.The study was pre-registered on May 26, 2020 at ClinicalTrials.gov with identifier NCT04400877.
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| 31. |
- Zetterström, Andreas, et al.
(author)
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Maximum Time Between Tests : A Digital Biomarker to Detect Therapy Compliance and Assess Schedule Quality in Measurement-Based eHealth Systems for Alcohol Use Disorder
- 2019
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In: Alcohol and Alcoholism. - : OXFORD UNIV PRESS. - 0735-0414 .- 1464-3502. ; 54:1, s. 70-72
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Aim: To evaluate, in a breathalyzer-based eHealth system, whether the time-based digital biomarker maximum time between tests' (MTBT) brings valuable information on alcohol consumption patterns as confirmed by correlation with blood phosphatidyl ethanol (PEth), serum carbohydrate deficient transferrin (CDT) and timeline follow-back data.Method: Data on 54 patients in follow-up for treatment of alcohol use disorder were analysed.Results: The model of weekly averages of 24-log transformed MTBT adequately described timeline follow-back data (P < 0.0001, R = 0.27-0.38, n = 650). Significant correlations were noted between MTBT and PEth (P < 0.0001, R = 0.41, n = 148) and between MTBT and CDT (P < 0.0079, R = 0.22, n = 120).Conclusions: The time-based digital biomarker maximum time between tests' described here has the potential to become a generally useful metric for all scheduled measurement-based eHealth systems to monitor test behaviour and compliance, factors important for dosing' of eHealth systems and for early prediction and interventions of lapse/relapse.
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| 32. |
- Zetterström, Andreas, et al.
(author)
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The Clinical Course of Alcohol Use Disorder Depicted by Digital Biomarkers
- 2021
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In: Frontiers in Digital Health. - : Frontiers Media S.A.. - 2673-253X. ; 3
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Aims: This study introduces new digital biomarkers to be used as precise, objective tools to measure and describe the clinical course of patients with alcohol use disorder (AUD).Methods: An algorithm is outlined for the calculation of a new digital biomarker, the recovery and exacerbation index (REI), which describes the current trend in a patient's clinical course of AUD. A threshold applied to the REI identifies the starting point and the length of an exacerbation event (EE). The disease patterns and periodicity are described by the number, length, and distance between EEs. The algorithms were tested on data from patients from previous clinical trials (n = 51) and clinical practice (n = 1,717).Results: Our study indicates that the digital biomarker-based description of the clinical course of AUD might be superior to the traditional self-reported relapse/remission concept and conventional biomarkers due to higher data quality (alcohol measured) and time resolution. We found that EEs and the REI introduce distinct tools to identify qualitative and quantitative differences in drinking patterns (drinks per drinking day, phosphatidyl ethanol levels, weekday and holiday patterns) and effect of treatment time.Conclusions: This study indicates that the disease state-level, trend and periodicity-can be mathematically described and visualized with digital biomarkers, thereby improving knowledge about the clinical course of AUD and enabling clinical decision-making and adaptive care. The algorithms provide a basis for machine-learning-driven research that might also be applied for other disorders where daily data are available from digital health systems.
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